Something Just Short of Perfect
by AlmightyT
Summary: Lily Evans is thrilled that she will be able to spend her final year at Hogwarts with James Potter and his gang around to bother her. Or, so she thought.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, or anything else that is vaguely related to the aforementioned character. They belong to J. K. Rowling and whoever else she is affiliated with these days.**

Hogwarts was perfect the day Lily Evans returned for her 7th year. With its perfectly pristine lake and its perfectly planted grounds surrounded by a perfectly petrifying forest, everything was good in the world. She was going to be a perfect Head Girl and be respected by all her perfect peers. This was going to be her year. Hogwarts, always perfectly Petuntia-less, was now better than ever.

It was perfectly Potter-less.

It was this state of mind that kept Lily from grumbling at the mud caused by the currently falling rain, shouting insults at Peeves as he hit her and her friends with a well-aimed water balloon, and bursting into tears along with the rest of Hogwarts' female population when they realized that their new shoes bought specifically for the first day of school were ruined by the weather. No, Lily Evans was in a state of bliss that nothing could remove her from.

Hopefully...

'Lily! Pass me the potatoes, please!' screamed Tanner McFallon, Lily's dorm-mate and best friend, for the fourth time.

Lily's eyes focused. "Oh, sorry, Tanner. Here you go"

"You blanked out, Lily"

Lily sighed. "I know, I can't seem to stop doing it. It's gotten really bad these past few days"

Tanner laughed. "It couldn't be because our favourite group of guys has graduated, could it"

Lily grinned. Of course it was! No longer would James Potter and his group of morons bother her. She could study in the common room, and feel safe walking alone in the hallways. The past six years of torture were going to prove to be worth it, she just knew...

"Lily"

"Right! Sorry." Lily turned to look at her friend. Tanner, with her light grey eyes and practically grown out brown hair, simply grinned in response. It was obvious to Lily that if she wanted to be a perfect Head Girl and a good friend, she would simply have to swallow her glee about the removal of James and his cronies and get on with her life. After all, she had N.E.W.T.'s to pass and there was no way that a bubble-headed nitwit could score the marks she hoped to achieve.

"So, Lily, as Head Girl, have you heard anything about the Transfiguration professor replacement?" Dashwood Ryann asked as he sat down beside Tanner.

Dash was a Ravenclaw and Lily's other best friend, as well as Tanner's boyfriend of one year. He held Tanner's hand underneath the table, slowly rubbing small circles on her palm.

"No, actually, I haven't. Have you?"

Dash shook his head, his blue eyes shining with concern. Lily had always been close to Professor McGonagall and he knew that Lily was affected greatly by the Transfiguration teacher's sudden and violent illness. The young professor had been in the middle of teaching last year's Sixth Year Gryffindor class, when she had suddenly collapsed on the floor. The room had erupted into madness, with confused students running in every direction and the students with slightly more sense barking directions to them. Despite their Year and sixteen-year-old intelligence, they had been unable to realize that McGonagall needed professional help until it was almost too late. Dash knew very well that Lily blamed herself for the outcome of the event and wished that there was some way he could convince her that it was not her fault. He actually did not know exactly what Lily had done when the teacher collapsed, and Tanner refused to tell him.

The new professor would only be a sub-in for Professor McGonagall, as the medi-wizards at St. Mungo's claimed that she would make a complete recovery and would be able to return by the beginning of next year. Still, Dash assumed that Lily would make it her personal business to ensure that the Transfiguration professor would enjoy his or her stay, be respected (at least by Lily's own class) and be safe from harm. What harm it was that could actually befall him or she, Dash didn't know, but he was certain, as he watched a firm look of resolve spread across Lily's face, that she would do everything in her power to evade it. And Dash knew, quite well in fact, that Lily Evans was a force to be reckoned with.


	2. Chapter 2

The Sorting, it turned out, was another reminder of McGonagall's absence. Tiny professor Flitwick was the teacher assigned to leading the first years to the front, his balding head just visible among the quivering eleven year olds. Lily didn't pay attention to the Sorting Hat's song, or the Sorting at all. Instead, she examined the staff table with great interest.

Professor Dumbledore sat at the head of the table, the seat to his left occupied by Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had just returned from a summer trip to Transylvania. Dumbledore and Quirrell were talking with their heads bent close together and had the air of secrecy. The seat to Dumbledore's right was unoccupied, and, as far as Lily could tell, where the new Transfiguration teacher should be sitting, as every other seat at the table was occupied by returning professors.

Dash's comment about Lily not knowing who the replacement professor was bothered Lily. Not knowing the answer to something greatly agitated her. Would the same thing that caused McGonagall to fall ill attack the substitute as well? Lily felt it her own private responsibility to protect this professor, as she had been unable to with McGonagall. She anxiously waited for her classmate's plates of mashed potatoes and roast to clear and the beginning of term speech to take place.  
Tanner leaned over to her.

'Are you alright, Lily?' she asked, wiping custard from her chin. Lily nodded, her stomach in knots. Would everyone hurry up and finish eating?

'Miss?'

Lily turned and faced a timid looking house elf wearing nothing but a dishcloth. The creature's watery violet eyes looked up at her from beside her chair.

'Yes?' said Lily, as the rest of the Gryffindor house strained to face the elf.

'I is to be giving you this,' the elf squeaked. 'He told me to said it was 'pretty surprise for a pretty lady.' The timid elf huridly place the small cookie on her plate, and scurried out of the Hall. Lily and Tanner examined the cookie carefully.

Lily looked up and smiled at Ryan James, who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table. Ryan, whom Lily had a rather large crush on since the end feast the previous year, smiled warmly back at her. Lily,  
deciding her cookie was a 'hello!' gift from Ryan, munched happily as Professor Dumbledore rose at the staff table.

'Welcome, welcome!' cried Dumbledore. 'Before I send you off to enjoy the comfort of your dormitories, I have a few announcements. To our first years and returning students, I would like to point out that the Forbidden Forest is exactly as its name suggests: forbidden. Please do not enter, or you shall face punishment. If anyone would like to review any of the other 501 rules, please feel free to contact Mr. Filch.' His eyes twinkled merrily. ' I would also like to introduce the only new addition to our staff. He will be sitting in for Professor McGonagall this year, then enter Auror training when she returns. May I present, Professor James Potter! Wherever it is he is...'

Nearly the entire female population of Hogwarts cheered and clapped appreciatively. James was, after all, very attractive and quite well known among the girls. Lily, on the other hand, gasped and choked,  
sending the gooey remains of her cookie sailing across the table. No, she thought, this can't be happening.  
But it seemed that Dumbledore's speech was not yet finished. After patiently waiting out the mumblings and excited giggles of the student body, he cleared his throat.

'I would like to say, that due to a special request of Professor Potter's, the Head Boy and Girl, who as you all know have their own private common room, shall be joined by Professor Potter, in order to make him feel more comfortable. So, to un-confuse some of you, both the Head Girl, the Head Boy and Professor Potter's dorms shall attach to one common room, which they shall share for the rest of the year. Because of this arrangement, I would like to speak with the Heads directly after the feast, which is over and done with now. Enjoy your year, and as the French say, bonne nuit!'' 


End file.
